From upscale to outlet mall, Houston a shopping Mecca

By David Kaplan |
May 3, 2013
| Updated: May 23, 2013 12:22pm

Shoppers take advantage of the cool evenings at CityCentre Friday March 15, 2013.(Dave Rossman/ For the Chronicle)

Photo By Dave Rossman/Freelance

The play area for children at CityCentre Friday March 15, 2013.(Dave Rossman/ For the Chronicle)

Photo By Dave Rossman/Freelance

Shoppers stroll the sidewalks of CityCentre in west Houston. ﻿

Photo By Dave Rossman/Freelance

Shoppers take advantage of the cool evenings at CityCentre Friday March 15, 2013.(Dave Rossman/ For the Chronicle)

Photo By Dave Rossman/Freelance

Heather and Trey Laird enjoy a drink while spending a night out at CityCentre Friday March 15, 2013.(Dave Rossman/ For the Chronicle)

Photo By Dave Rossman/Freelance

Guests enjoy the mild weather at CityCentre Friday evening March 15, 2013.(Dave Rossman/ For the Chronicle)

In Houston you can shop indoors or out and even in tunnels under the ground. The retail options, from high-end to discount, are immense.

The city boasts "everything from the highest of upscale to the outlet mall," said Ed Wulfe, chairman and CEO of Wulfe & Co., a retail brokerage and development firm. National retailers are increasingly drawn to Houston for its dynamic economy, he said.

Perhaps the best-known retail destination in town is the Galleria, on Westheimer just west of the 610 Loop.

It's a "premier example of a successful high-end" mall that has stood the test of time, said Lilly Golden, principal at Evergreen Commercial Realty. "It's in a league of its own for retail as the epicenter of one-of-a-kind best-in-class retailers," she said.

Stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada annd Chanel help draw throngs of international shoppers.

Just north of the Galleria is the expansive Uptown Park and just east is Highland Village, a several-block-long center with some of its own first-in-market retail, including the city's only Apple Flagship store.

Local suburban malls also have landed exclusive-for-Houston retail. For example, Willowbrook Mall in north Houston and Baybrook Mall in Webster are home to Houston's two H&M fast-fashion clothing stores aimed at teens and younger adult shoppers.

Baybrook and Memorial City Mall in west Houston are two of the area's largest and most popular regional malls.

In recent years, Houston has seen the growth of outdoor centers that often offer higher-end retail and restaurants, as well as town centers and mixed-use developments that bring in entertainment, office and/or residential components.

Mixed-use development includes CityCentre in the Memorial area, Sugar Land Town Square in Sugar Land, Market Street in The Woodlands and West Ave. on Upper Kirby and Blvd. Place in the Uptown Park area.

The two major outlet malls, Houston Premium Outlets in Cypress and the newer Tanger Outlets in Texas City, both thrive, Golden said, adding that she wouldn't be surprised if another such discount center came to Houston.

Houston also has a number of unique family-owned retailers such as Kuhl-Linscomb, a nationally renowned specialty lifestyle store in the Upper Kirby District.

Many visitors to Houston are surprised to learn of its vast downtown tunnel system. The more than 6 miles of tunnel are mostly used by the 140,000 downtown workers. The tunnel is open on weekdays during business hours and offers cafes, gifts, hair salons, shoe repair, dental services and much more.

The tunnel system was unplanned and built with private money invested by the above-ground building developers.